Level Up! Games

Level Up! Inc., more commonly known by the trademark Level Up! Games, is a Philippine game publishing studio owned by Asiasoft since 2014.[1] According to their website, they currently have operations in the Philippines, Brazil and Latin America.

Level Up! Inc.
TypeSubsidiary company
Level Up! Interactive S.A.U
IndustrySoftware, video games
Founded2002 (2002)
Headquarters
Makati City
,
Philippines
ProductsSee complete list of products
ParentAsiasoft
Websitewww.levelupgames.com.br

History

Level Up! Games was one of the first online game publishing companies in the Philippines.[2] In 2002, Level Up! introduced Oz World, the very first massively multiplayer online game in the Philippines.[3] The following year, Level Up! launched the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG), Ragnarok Online. They followed up by introducing ROSE Online and RF Online in the country.

Also in 2004, Level Up! partnered with Tectoy to expand into Brazil. In February 2005, Level Up! Games Brazil launched its first MMORPG in the country: a free version of the company's franchise Ragnarok Online, translated into Portuguese.[4] This game was followed by numerous other releases in Brazil over the next few years.

ePLDT, the digital entertainment division of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), acquired Level Up! Philippines in 2006, and merged their portfolios of online games.[5] That same year, the first Level Up! Live event took place, with championship competitions held for four games: Ragnarok Online, Rose Online, RF Online, and Freestyle. Level Up! continued to publish new games, including Perfect World and Silkroad Online. They also had their first Level Up! School Tour, going as far north as Baguio and south to Davao City. The company expanded into India in the same year, partnering with Indiatimes to publish Ragnarok Online in the country.[6]

In 2008, the Philippines was selected to be the host for the annual Ragnarok World Championship.

In 2010, the Level Up! Games Brazil expanded its partnership with Korean developer Nexon and brought to Brazil the first person shooter Combat Arms. Also in 2010, a Level Up! Store was launched, featuring products related to games distributed by Level Up! Games Brazil. The Store was closed in June 2011.[7] At the end of the year, the company launched the title Allods Online.[4]

In October 2012, Level Up! Games merged with E-Games, creating the largest online game publishing operation in the Philippines.[8] In the same year, Level Up! had 49% of its international shares bought by Tencent, China's leading internet service provider, for nearly 27 million dollars.[9] Also in 2012, Level Up! Brazil released Turma do Chico Bento,[4] their first game developed for social networking site, Facebook, at Level Up! Live 2012. Level Up! Games expanded into Latin America the same year.

Level Up! Games was acquired by Asiasoft for 2.9 million dollars in 2014.[10] Since then, Level Up!'s portfolio has been published in Asia under PlayPark.

Games distributed by the company

Brazil

India (Closed as of 2009)

Philippines
  • Assault Fire
  • Ragnarok
  • Cabal
  • K.O.S. Secret Operations
  • RAN Online
  • Perfect World

Current


Former
  • Ragnarok Online local service was shut down on March 31, 2015. Players were then transferred to WarpPortal's international server in April 2015.
  • Grand Chase (local server was shut down on November 2014)
  • Eligium
  • Rohan (getting close by October 2014)
  • Flyff (Getting close by September 2014)
  • Bounty Hounds Online
  • Silkroad Online
  • Oz World
  • Crazy Kart
  • Crazy Kart 2: Race Battle Online[11]
  • Allods Online
  • Band Master
  • Point Blank (transferred To Garena (2014))
  • Pangya
  • K.O.S. Secret Operations (Sting: The Secret Operations)
  • Freestyle Online (global servers were closed in 2010)
  • RF Online
  • ROSE Online
  • RAN Online

South East Asia (Thru Asiasoft | Playpark)

See also
  •  Video games portal

References
  1. "Philippine Online Game Publisher Level Up! Games To Be Acquired By Asiasoft". PCInvasion. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  2. Zinnia B., Dela Pena (2 April 2012). "E-Games merges with Level Up! to create online gaming giant". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  3. "Level Up! mad about 'Oz World'". The Philippine Star. 21 March 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  4. "Timeline Telligent". Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  5. "PLDT, Online Games Publisher Team Up". The Philippine Star.
  6. "Level Up India Partners with Indiatimes to Launch Ragnarok, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game". TechShout. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  7. quote closing of Level Up! Store, 29 July 2012
  8. Dumlao, Doris (2 April 2012). "IP E-Games-Level UP! merger creates largest gaming publishing business in PH". Inquirer.net. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  9. "Tencent to buy 49% of game firm Level Up". MarketWatch. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  10. "Asiasoft practically owns Level Up! now". Tech In Asia. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  11. Sallan, Edwin P. (6 February 2010). "Level Up! launches new online racing game and tournament". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
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